TL; DR: Too Long, Didn’t Read
For over two years, the education community has been given the seemingly insurmountable task of communicating more health, safety and logistical information than ever before. The timelines are tighter. The information is more critical. And your human resources are stretched thin.
Now, communications and admissions offices are tasked again with delivering COVID-related updates to weary students and parents. Short form, attention-grabbing and clear editorial and design are essential whether you’re sharing an important school update or working hard to reengage the community and prospective families with the school’s brand.
How to Avoid “TL; DR”
Determine the Best Editorial Form – Start by evaluating the format of your email and landing page communications. What editorial style will be most effective for this information—a letter? Or a brochure format?
Check Your Word Count – The average length was 550 words for five schools’ COVID-related updates. Without a doubt, these schools’ communications were important and warranted their audiences’ full attention. But this is a 40-word paragraph. Did you read every word?
Format Text With Headlines, Subheads and Bullets – Break up your editorial. Categorize information for readers. Put important information in headlines. Use a bulleted list instead of a paragraph. This intentional organization will allow audiences to skim, grasp the content, then read for more depth.
Add Design Differentiation – Start with the basics—not every piece of communication needs to be a complex design. Use text size, color, spacing, column layouts and simple horizontal line breaks to emphasize important information. For schools using Finalsite’s messaging platform, you have access to an unmatched email system at your fingertips.
Consider Infographics – One big caution: don’t send your most important information out as a jpeg (images do not download automatically for all email readers). Consider using text as a graphic or an icon that draws readers to information.
Remember You’re Communicating Value
The regular communications with your internal community and admissions email communication with prospective families are some of the best places to reaffirm a school’s strengths and reinforce its brand promise. How, when and what information and requests you share is the customer experience.
The Quick Take
As an industry, we need to prioritize the consumer experience. Parents are busy and it’s up to communications and admissions offices to break through. Maximize the effectiveness of your communications by limiting word count and increasing design aesthetic.
Written by Emily Hajjar, Creative Director and Brand Strategist at Creosote Affects
Creosote Affects helps schools, colleges and universities nationwide find their brand voice in highly competitive markets. We are a comprehensive branding firm—executing research, strategy and creative.